The regulations require localities to identify Chesapeake Bay preservervation areas, map those areas and revise local ordinances to comply with protecting the water quality of the bay.

The Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to join Mathews, Middlesex, King William and King and Queen counties in a joint effort with the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission to administer the Bay Act through a computerized geographic information system. Supervisor Benjamin F. Seawell Jr. cast the dissenting vote. Essex County is expected to join the group later this month.

"To put it simply," said Dan Kavanagh, executive director of the commission, "this is computerized management of all the land affected by the Bay Act. We've studied several alternatives to implement the Bay Act regulations, and this system is the fastest and least expensive of the other options were reviewed."

The program is expected to cost $168,376, Kavanagh said. $63,600 will come from the 1990 Coastal Zone Management Grant given to each of the six Middle Peninsula counties by the Council on the Environment to help comply with the Bay Act regulations, Kavanagh said.

Each county was given $10,600 toward expenses of implementing the law.

Although the remaining funds haven't been officially secured yet, Kavanagh said he had two possible contributors lined up.

Another $63,600 may come from the Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Board. In a letter to Kavanagh, Stanley R. Balderson Jr., acting executive director for the board, said he "feels the $63,600 requested ... is reasonable in light of the state-local cooperative program established by the Act."

Kavanagh said the remaining $41,176 could come from the Virginia Environmental Endowment, a group that contributes money for "innovative projects for environmental management." The group has helped fund a similar program in Richmond County.

Kavanagh said Richmond County's project was a step below the Middle Peninsula's proposed system, and the endowment group expressed interest in "going to the next step of the program."

Only Supervisor Seawell had reservations about the program. He wanted more information before making a decision. "Due to this year's budget constraints, I don't think it's wise to go into this project without more information," he said.

Supervisor Burton M. Bland called Seawell's concern "unfounded." He said, "Since the county's portion of the funding comes from our state Bay Act grant, the program won't impact the budget, Mr. Seawell. I don't think Gloucester can implement a such a program on its own, using $10,600 of someone else's money."